The organizers have stated that the program was launched with the aim of documenting the knowledge and experience of senior translators as history, transferring knowledge between the new and older generations, and expanding professional networks through continuous dialogue.
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The Translators' Society Nepal organized its first 'Translation Discussion' series on Thursday.
The organizers have announced in a statement that the program was launched with the aim of documenting the knowledge and experience of senior translators as history, transferring knowledge between the new and old generations, and expanding professional networks through continuous dialogue.
According to the society, ‘Translation Discussion’ will not be a place for debate, but rather an open forum to listen to the experiences of senior translators, learn from their mistakes, and draw inspiration from their successes.
Senior poet and translator Bhishma Upreti, as the keynote speaker at the program, said that translation is not just a linguistic transformation but a highly creative and technical art.
He emphasized that one should be honest with the original author’s feelings, style, and cultural environment while translating.
Sharing the interesting experiences and challenges he faced during his translation journey, Upreti said that during his stay in the UK in 1999, the lack of English translations made it difficult for him to introduce Nepali literature internationally.
Upreti, who is also the president of PEN Nepal, mentioned that the scope of knowledge has expanded through translation and informed that he has been involved in important projects such as translating South Asian literature, war literature and poetry by Islamic women poets during the Covid period.
According to him, cultural images and linguistic nuances appear as the main challenges in literary translation.
He emphasized that the translator should be able to understand the 'heart' of the original author, be aware of the cultural background and be honest with the style.
He also suggested that re-editing after the translation is completed and not publishing it immediately would improve the quality.
At the program, Dr. Balram Adhikari, president of the Nepal Translators' Society, and Dr. Rishiram Adhikari, general secretary, said that 'Translation Discussion' should be continued to give a new height.
